2021.09.01 16:59
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Naomi Osaka's hair reveals the burdens carried by Black bodies in white spaces
Naomi Osaka (大坂 なおみ, Ōsaka Naomi, Japanese pronunciation: [oːsaka naomi], born October 16, 1997) is a Japanese professional tennis player. She has been ranked No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and is the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles. She is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion, and is the reigning champion at the US Open and the Australian Open. Her seven titles on the WTA Tour also include two at the Premier Mandatory level. At the 2018 US Open and the 2019 Australian Open, Osaka won her first two Grand Slam singles titles in back-to-back Grand Slam tournaments and is the first player to achieve this feat since Jennifer Capriati in 2001. She also became the first woman to win successive Grand Slam singles titles since Serena Williams in 2015.
Born in Japan to a Haitian father and a Japanese mother, Osaka has lived and trained in the United States since age three. She came to prominence at age 16 when she defeated former US Open champion Samantha Stosur in her WTA Tour debut at the 2014 Stanford Classic. Two years later, she reached her first WTA final at the 2016 Pan Pacific Open in Japan to enter the top 50 of the WTA rankings. Osaka made her breakthrough into the upper echelon of women's tennis in 2018 when she won her first WTA title at the Indian Wells Open. Later in the year, she defeated 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams in the final of the US Open to become the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam singles title. Since 2018, she has won a Grand Slam singles title in four consecutive years.
Osaka is one of the world's most marketable athletes, having been ranked eighth among all athletes in endorsement income in 2020. She was also the highest-earning female athlete of all time by annual income that year. Osaka has gained significant recognition as an activist, having showcased support for the Black Lives Matter movement in conjunction with her matches. She was named one of the 2020 Sports Illustrated Sportspersons of the Year for her activism largely as part of her US Open championship run and was also included on Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019 and 2020. Moreover, she was the 2021 Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she became the first tennis player to light the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony. On the court, Osaka has an aggressive playing style with a powerful service that can reach 201 kilometers per hour (125 mph).
Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka speaks out for Black Lives Matter, Jun 08, 2020 At last year's U.S. Open, Osaka wore masks emblazoned with "George Floyd" and "Breonna Taylor" highlighting police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement to her global fans. 
Naomi Osaka of Japan wears a mask with the name of George Floyd on it during an interview following her Women's Singles quarter-finals match win on Day Nine of the 2020 US Open. Matthew Stockman / Getty Image "The additional responsibility of being a role model and trailblazer from a minoritized ethnic background has been overlooked by the event organizers," Kilvington added. "The very fact that Black, Asian and minoritized ethnic people are more likely to suffer from mental health issues such as depression and anxiety has been ignored."
Naomi Osaka Tears Into Existence of Racism in Japan ...
Published 06/06/2020, 5:47 AM EDT Jun 06, 2020 · The tennis typhoon from Japan Naomi Osaka has actively been vocalizing the issue of racism in the USA. However, racial discrimination is not just concerned with the country of the United States, rather it has crossed the borders. World Number 10 Naomi Osaka was once a victim of racism in her home country of Japan. Osaka was born to a Haitian father and a Japanese mother. She refers to her ethnicity as ‘black Asian’. Following her heritage remarks and her tanned complexion, in the year 2019, a comedy duo from Japan made a racist quip on Naomi. They called her to be ‘too sunburned’ and stated she needed some ‘bleach’. Later, their management firm issued an apology letter to Naomi Osaka.
Naomi Osaka Quits the French Open After News Conference Dispute
www.nytimes.com › 2021/05/31 › sports May 31, 2021 The four-time Grand Slam tournament winner wrote on Instagram that she had suffered from bouts of depression since 2018 and that she would “take some time” away from the tennis court 
PARIS — The weeklong confrontation between Naomi Osaka, the second-ranked woman in tennis, and leaders of the sport’s four Grand Slam tournaments turned bitter on Monday when Ms. Osaka withdrew from the French Open, citing concerns for her mental health. The move was a dramatic turn in the high-stakes standoff between the most powerful officials in tennis and Ms. Osaka. The player, 23, is not only the world’s highest-paid female athlete but also a generational star who has quickly become the most magnetic figure in tennis.
Tennis champ Naomi Osaka withdraws from Wimbledon
By Tim Fitzsimons Tennis champion Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Wimbledon tennis tournament, according to a representative. "Naomi won’t be playing Wimbledon this year," Osaka's representative said in a statement. "She is taking some personal time with friends and family. She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans."
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Naomi is not only brave but smart too. She seems to know how to handle all these ethnic noises.
It is probably her mother's (Japanese) coaching if it was not her own. Is it her Asian wisdom?
She uses her international standing in tennis ranking to resign from the French and English
Tennis Open matches to prove her point. There are very few girls who can do that.
She is at one of the most precarious positions in ethnic matters.
She adamantly declares that she is "Black and Asian" in a loud voice on the world stage.
She does not act like a Japanese weakling. I love her for that.
In her struggles, I feel sorry that she has been lonely at times. Anyway, Naomi, be brave.
May God bless you and your parents.